Japan Stocks Have Worst Month Since Mid-2012

Investors Wary of Taking Risk With the Advent of the Lunar New Year

By

Brad Frischkorn And

David Rogers

Updated Jan. 31, 2014 3:16 a.m. ET

TOKYO—Tokyo shares closed out their worst month since May 2012 as jittery investors had little stomach for taking risk with the advent of the Lunar New Year, idling most other Asian markets with the exception of Australia.

The Nikkei Stock Average posted a loss of 0.6% Friday, ending at 14914.53 and off 8.5% for January. Australian share trading was also subdued, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closing virtually flat at 5190,...